Liquid control gear



Jane w14. 1941- c. G. HEBEL 2,414,302

LIQUID CONTROL GEAR Filed nec. 2', 1943 2 sheets-Sheet 1 m. A HHHHH ...am

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y Patented Jan. 14, 1947 i UNITED STATES 'PATEN LIQUID CONTROL GEAR i Carl Gr.` Hebel, Weehawkem N. J., assigner to Sperry Products, Inc., Hoboken, N. J., a corporation of New York l Application December 2, 1943, yserial No. 512,547

" (ci. co- 545) v 2 Claims. 1

This invention relates to liquidcontrol gear of l the type `wherein vmovement of a -member at a transmitting station iscaused -to control movement oi a member at a receiving station. More particularly, this invention relates to'control gear of this type wherein the transmitting and receiving stations are maintained under resilient pressure and are connected by a liquid transmission l system. Control gears of thisztype `are shown and described inthe United States patent to H. S.

. Hele-Shaw and T. Eueacham, No.` 1,983,884,

granted December 11, 1934, andthe United States patent to A. N.` Lawrence, No; 2,l97,554,'granted Apru 16, 1940. In the-erster these patents a constant force is applied tothe liquid transmission system in every position of the transmitter handle to overcome a constant force at the receiving end.` In'the Lawrence patent a constanti the transmitter handle to its initial position.

Thus, the systems described above, and to which the present invention relates, consist essentially Y of a transmitter station and `a receiver station, l

said stations being under resilient pressure and connected by a column of liquid through which the forces` are transmitted. The present invention relates `to a similar system except that the force transferring connection between the transmitter station and the receiver station, instead of consisting solelyvof a liquid column, consists in a liquid connection which has interposed between its ends a` force transmitting linkage.

Thus, the force transferring connection consists' of two liquid columns,v one on either side or, a

force transmitting linkage. l This linkage istherefore in cooperative relation to the fluid in the force transferring connection whereby the uid can actuate .the linkage and the linkage can actuate the fluid, and hence, the forceis'transferred through L.' combination of liquid and mechanical linkage from one station to the other.

As aresult of this interposition of a force transierring linkage in the force `transferring system between the stations, a, Wide varietyof operating arrangements can be obtained andmany `diierent i age.

types of operating problems solved. Thus, "iorl examplez 1. In said balanced system,

station and the other station under resilient pressuremay be the receiving station. Since the linkage is part ofthe force -transferringconnectiom it will be actuated inaccordance with the pressure in lthe system. At the same time, operation of q the linkage will serve toin'crease pressure on the liquid on one side thereof and decrease pressure on the liquid ori-the other side thereof, the same as in the case where one ofsaid stations underll,` resilient pressureis operated. `Therefore the force transferring linkage may be utilized as an auxiliary transmitter. for example, in the case of a ship where a transmitting station is located on the bridge, and the receiving station is connected in the engine room so as to operate an i engine control, the said stations ordinarily being -connected by a liquid force transferring connection, the interposition inthis connection of the force ltransferring linkage permits said linkage to be positionedat some point on the ship other than the bridge, such as inthe engine room, so that the engine control may be operated from lthe linkage `-which thus acts as `an auxiliary transmitter.

2. In the balanced system the stations under.

resilient pressure may be connected to members adapted to be actuated, each station actua-ting one oi the members. Both stations, and therefore both actuatable members maybe operated simultaneously'by `operation of the force trans-` mitting linkage.. Thus, each station may be connected to the throttle of an engine, and operation of the linkage will actuate both stations, and

therefore actuate .the plurality of `engines simultaneously. l In this case, the forcetransferrin'g linkage acts as the sole transmitter, While the stations under resilient pressure act as receivers.

.3. In the balanced system, each station under resilient pressure may be q utilized-as a transmitting station,` the actuatable member be-` ing connected `to, the force transmitting link- Thus,\a signal `to the engine room of a ship may be operated from either the stern e or the bridge` of theship. In thiscase. the force transmitting linkage serves as a. solereceiver, while the stations 'under resilient pressure` are both transmitters.l y l In all of the above arrangements the movable members of the two `stations under pressure, as well as the force transmitting linkage, all move in synchronlsm so that whichever of .these stations is operated, the othermovable members will r orrlcsx r loneof the stations, under-resilient pressure may be the transmitting a,414, soa

4 tailed description thereof:

In the accompanying drawings,

Fig. 1 is an assembly view, with certain parts sectioned vertically, of a liquid control gear system enibodying my invention. f

by a loading spring 22 seated,against a bracket 23 xed upon a rod 24 pivoted at 25 within the casing I6. The other end of said loading spring bears against a -bracket 26 fixed to a member 21 so that the spring is extensible. 'The member 21 is pivoted at 29 to a crank arm 30 formed on the lever I4. The position of the spring and its connections is such that the spring acts through a small lever arm t apply a very slight loading 50 mechanism 6I to' depress the valve stem 62 to. open valve 53 and permit fluid from reservoir 64 force to crank arm I8 and the piston II when the piston is in its uppermost position, but as the handle I is actuated in the direction of the arrow, it fwill be seen that the spring acts through to overcome friction in the system. A force applied to the operating handle I5 or to the operating handle I5 will cause the other handle to be moved in synchronism by reason of'the fact that the force appliedto the handle is transmitted to the force transmitting connection which transfers the excess force between stations Aand B.

Heretofore, the force transferring connection Figs. 2, 3 and 4 are similar views, largely dia- 10 C consisted of a single duct lled with fluid andv grammatic, illustrating three different species of extending from piston Il in station A to the `this invention, allembodying the arrangement corresponding piston in station B. 'My invention shown in Fig. 1. consists in a new type of force transferring con'- I have shown this invention as-applied to the nection wherein the duct heretofore employed is form of liquid control gear in the said Lawrence l5 interrupted by means of a force transmitting Patent No. 2,197,554, but it will be understood linkage interposed between-the ends of the duct, that this is for purposes of illustration only, and so that in eilect, there is obtained two ducts D that the invention is applicable to an'y other baland D', the duct D connecting pressure station anced liquid control gear system, such as the A with the force transmitting linkage L, and the vone shown by Hele-Shayr et al., No. 1,983,884. 20 duct D connecting said linkage L with the pres- Such systems comprise three main parts insure station B. The force transmitting linkage, cluding -parts A and B which are two similar staas shown in Fig. 1, may comprise a lever 40 piv-v tions under resilient pressure, and a force transoted at 4I in a casing 42 and connected at one lferring means adapted to transfer excess presend 43 to a piston rod 44 pivotally connected sure fbetwe'en stations A and B. Each of'stations 25 to a piston I45 operating in a cylinder 46, which, lA and B may comprse a cylinderjIIJ within which at its lower end, is connected to the duct D. The

operates a piston I-I. Said cylinder is connected other arm of lever 40 may be connected at 43 at one end to a duct D which is filled with liquid to a link or piston rod 44' pivotally connected extending up to said piston.` For operating said to a piston 45', which, at its lower end, is conpiston in a direction to transmit lforce to the liq- 3o nected to the ductDf.` lvThe lever 40 may be prouid column, there may be provided an operating vided with an operating arm 50. lever I4 'in the form of a bell crank, said lever The parts are originally set so that when pisbeing pivoted in casing I6 at I'I. Said lever comt0n II is in its uppermost position, piston-45 is Prises a handle I5 and a crank arm I8 pivOtally in its `lowermost position. Atthis point piston connected at I9 to theupper end of a piston 35 45'vwil1 necessarily be in its uppermost position, rod 20 pivotally connected to the piston at 2l. and the-corresponding piston in station B will be As the handle is moved in the direction of the in its lowermost position. vMeans are provided arrow, the piston is lowered to Cause the column for maintaining the liquid column between pis- 0f liquid to move through the duct D. The ton II and piston 45, and between piston 46 and force which is applied t0 the DiStOr-l iS determined 40 the correspondingA piston I I in'station B lled with liquid by synchronizing means which becomes effective each time any one of .these pistons reaches its uppermost position. Thus, whenfpiston II reaches its uppermost position, connection having a Sleeve 23 Within Which md 24 may Slide 45 is-made between the iiuid in cylinder IIl and thev fluid in reservoir 64 -by means of a valve 63 which is opened when the piston II reaches its uppermost position. In said uppermost position an arm G0 carried by the piston rod 20 actuates trip to communicate with the fluid inthe transmissionsystem through a passage 65. Similarly each time piston 45 or piston 45 re'aches its upperan increasing eiective lever arm. At the same 55 most position, a link 10 or 1 0' is engaged by a time, however, the spring is extended so that while -it acts through a larger effective lever arm, it applies a decreasing force as said effective arm increases. The design of the various `parts may be made such that the rate of decrease .of the. nication between a reservoir I3 and the respeccompressor force of the spring is equal, slower than, or greater than therate of increase of the lever arm as handle I5 is actuated in the direction of the arrow whereby the force applied todouble-acting bell crank 'II pivoted at 'I5 and actuated by a pin 14 on lever 40 each time it moves to its extreme position in' order`to open the respectlvevalve 'I2 or 12 to permit commutive cylinder 46 or 46' to replenish the uid in the transmission system. The provision of fluidreplenishing means at each end of each duct D, D will insure synchronization which might the piston II, which is the product of these two otherwise be prevented by the formation of vacstant, continuously increasing or continuously decreasing loading force on the piston as it is moved ilar piston under similar pressure. Therefore, the pressures on the pistons at the two stations are always equal, and the force which an operuum,pockets. Thus, should there be leakage of fluid either in the part-D vor D which would tend to cause loss of synchronism between theoperating members I5, I5 and 50, such synchrointo the cylinder I0. Element A described'above 70 nism will be reestablished each time any one of is duplicated at station B where-there is a simoperative portion of -feach piston stroke, valves ator applies to the handle I5 need only be suicient 75 63, I2 and 12 are closed. I

From the above description it will be apparent that the two pistons 45 and 45' operate oppositely in their cylinders, and that'when force is applied to the fluid in duct D by applying a force to handle I5, the piston I5' will be ra'med.'

and piston 45' will be lowered to transmit this force to the fluid in ,duct D', and thence to pressure station B. Thus, the force transmitting linkage L which is a mechanical link between the two liquid columns D and D', nevertheless acts like a liquid column; and the sum total of the liquid column D, force transmitting linkage L, and

`liquid column D', is in its action essentially the set forth in the introduction hereto, but will now be more specifically described in connection with the diagrammatic showing in Figs. 2, 3 and 4.

Referring to the diagrammatic showing in Fig.

2, it will be apparent that if pressure is applied or station B, which may be located at widely spaced points. In this arrangement therefore, stations A and B both act as transmitters while the force transmitting linkage L acts as the actuated member capable of being operated. from either of two stations.' From whichever station,

`A or B, the member 5|] is actuated, such actuto the handle 50 the same force will be applied to the fluid in duct D or D' as when handle I5 or I5 is operated. Therefore, force transmitting linkage L may -be utilized as an auxiliary transmitter if desired. Thus, if station A is on the bridge of a ship, and station B is adjacent an engine with element I5 connected to the throttle of an engine, linkage L may be positioned in the engine room close to the engine so that if desired, or if the occasion demands it, the en-z gineer can operate the throttle by operating handie VISD. This will cause member lI5' to be actu- 'ated in the same manner as when handle I5 is operated. Operation of handle 50 4will therefore actuate members I5 and I5-so that such actuation by the auxiliary transmitter L will not only actuatethe engine throttle but such actuation will become evident on the bridge by reason of the repositioning of the element l5.

Referring now to Fig. 3, it is apparent from the description in the preceding paragraph that operation of handle 50 actuates-elements I5 and I5'. Therefore, if elements I5 and I5' areA both connected to members adapted to be actuated, as for instance, if each of these elements is connected to the throttle of an engine, it will be apparent that operation of handle 50 will serve to actuate both elements I5 and I5' simultaneously, and therefore -both engines can -be operated slmultaneously. Thus, the force transmitting linkage L may act as the sole transmitter, with the pressure elements A and B both being receiver elements.

Referring to Fig. .4, it will be seen that since element 5U is actuated in `synchronism with elements I5 and I5', operation of either element I5 or I5' will result in actuation of handle 50. Therefore, if handle 50 is connected to an element to be operated, as for instance, if handle 50 is connected to the throttle of an engine, such engine may be controlledfrom either station A ation will become apparent at the other station byl reason of the fact that all three elements, I5, I5' and 50, operate in synohronism.

While inthe foregoing description the force transferring connection has been described as including a single force transferring linkage L with connecting ducts D and D', it will be understood that any number of such linkages Lmay be inserted in series in the connect-ion between stations A and B. In such case, each succeeding linkage L would have its cylinder 46 connected to the' cylinder 46' of the preceding linkage by a duct similar to ductDor D'. Y

In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, I have herein described the principle and operation offmy invention, together with the apparatus which I now consider to represent the best embodiment thereof, but I desire 4 to have it understood that the apparatus shown is only illustrative and that the invention can be carried out by'other equivalent means. Also, while it isdesigned to use the various features and elements in the combination and relations described, some of these may be altered and others omitted without interfering with the more general results. outlined, and the invention extends to such` use. p

Having described my invention, what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In arhydraulic transmission system,.a transmitter, a receiver, said transmitter and said receiver -each comprising a cylinder, a pist'on'operating in the cylinder and means for placing the piston under predetermined pressure, an in of cylinders, a piston in each of said intermediate cylinders, a pivoted rocker having arms connected to the respective intermediate pistons, a fluid coiinection between one intermediate cylinder and the transmitter cylinder and a second uid connection between the other intermediate cylinder and the receiver cylinder, and means connected to the rocker whereby the rocker may be actuated o r actuation of the `rocker will actu` ate said connected means.

2. In a hydraulic transmission system, a transmitter` a receiver, said transmitter and said receiver each comprising a cylinder, a piston operating in the cylinder and means for placing the piston Aunder predetermined pressure, an intermediate transmission device including a pair of cylrocker whereby the rocker may be actuated or actuation ofthe rocker Vwill actuate said connected means.

cam. G. HEBEL. 

